Party hardliners led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya have demanded that the party hold a meeting of the standing committee prior to taking any decision on integration and rehabilitation of the 19,000-plus combatants.[break]
The Maoist decision on the peace process will have a direct bearing on the current negotiations for government formation as the other political parties have put forward a condition that Maoists take concrete steps to complete the integration process.
While Dahal plans to take the peace process forward by categorizing the combatants, the Baidya faction has contended that the categorization of the combatants cannot be done without agreement on the key issues of the entire peace process.
“We are not against the spirit of the integration process. But, key elements of the integration process should be settled in a package prior to categorizing the combatants,” said party standing committee member Netra Bikram Chand who is close to Baidya.
On Tuesday, during a meeting of the party top office bearers, Chairman Dahal had proposed that the party immediately take some decisions on issues of integration so that all other political parties including the NC would lend their support to a Maoist-led government.
But party Secretary CP Gajurel demanded a meeting of the standing committee saying that the peace process cannot move ahead without ensuring “dignified integration of the PLA combatants”. According to sources, party general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa had also objected to the chairman´s proposal.
Speaking at a function on Friday, Baidya argued that the dignified integration of the PLA should go alongside the formulation of the anti-imperialist and anti-feudalist constitution. Baidya was of the opinion that though the party has scarified a lot, it has achieved very little.
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